Re: CHAT: Distances among Communities

Brian Betty wrote:

> On Tue, 9 Mar 1999, Raymond A. Brown wrote: "Well, within 150 miles.  Yes,
> yes, I know that in the US that's considered almost living next door  :)"
>
> Padraic replied: "Well, not quite _next door_; but certainly down the street!"
>
> Maybe for most Americans, but when you hit New England, it's not true ...
> Lord! I can't imagine living in a state much larger than a pseudo-community
> ... I mean, there are distinctive dialects within a hundred miles of each
> other here!
Yep.  To me, the idea is exactly the opposite:  I can't imagine driving
100 or so miles and be in a different state; heck, Houston (my hometown)
itself is about 100 miles across (no kidding:  91 miles, unless they've added
something recently). The closest state border is about a five hours'
drive, I think.

> It's odd to think that Rhode Islanders feel a dark hostility towards
> Connecticutians ... and a mixture of anger and jealousy at Massachusetts
> residents ... and *Rhode Island* is roughly the size of Houston TX
Well, that's perhaps not exactly fair, since Houston's city government is
basically run by imperialists who love to absorb any community they want
for tax purposes (the State government gives weird and amazing powers to
chartered communities like that... don't ask me why).  Much of the outlying
land is in fact not very densely populated (by Texan standards, too).

=======================================================
Tom Wier <artabanos@...>
ICQ#: 4315704   AIM: Deuterotom
Website: <http://www.angelfire.com/tx/eclectorium/>
"Cogito ergo sum, sed credo ergo ero."

There's nothing particularly wrong with the
proletariat. It's the hamburgers of the
proletariat that I have a problem with. - Alfred Wallace
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